Guides, road signs, warning signals, and range finders of all kinds have been devised from ancient days to inform prospective members of a profession about the nature of their calling and what they are in for. I came across this Dunglison book recently. Some will recall Dunglison as the man Jefferson brought over from London in the 1820's to be the first professor of medicine at the University of Virginia. The Jefferson-Dunglison Letters have been published recently and reviewed in this section. Later in Philadelphia Dunglison achieved distinction as a prolific author of textbooks and dictionaries, a teacher of eminent eloquence, and a physician and friend who was dearly loved by all the members of the community who came within the radius of his skill and charm. He dedicated this book as follows to: "Those gentlemen throughout the union—who are already engaged in, or about to commence, the study of